All images by Ray Lewis. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Wes Anderson’s stop-motion masterpiece Isle of Dogs was among this year’s most anticipated and well-received films, primarily for the painstaking work and the incredible level of detail involved. London-based photographer, animator, and filmmaker Ray Lewis showed us exactly how intricate everything is — from the sets, making of the puppets, and animations — in a fascinating collection of behind the scenes photos and videos.
Everyone knows how amazing stop motion animation films are, and Wes Anderson’s are particularly memorable. But you don’t really have an idea how awesome the making itself is until you see what happens behind the scenes. In the photos below, Lewis takes us to where all the magic happens: the studios where all the set design, sculpting, costumes and props making, and shooting all come together to bring Wes Anderson’s latest stop motion masterpiece to life.
The photos reveal to us why there’s more to every stop motion animation film than the endearing characters and the storyline itself. To add more context to the photos, Lewis also included some equally fascinating behind the scenes videos about each component of the film. There, we learn that the production team is divided into character design, set design, and animators. Each team is further subdivided into departments in charge of sculpting the puppets, creating the costumes, putting hair and fur on the puppets, painting details on the puppets and the sets, building the interiors and dressing the sets, and creating the storyboard and concept art. The animators themselves are divided into teams as well, and some are in charge to bring action or make us laugh in certain parts of the film.
All of these details certainly give viewers a renewed sense of awe and appreciation for Isle of Dogs and other stop motion animation films. Each part of the filmmaking process simply involves making works of art.
Check out Ray Lewis’ Behance portfolio to see more of his work, including more behind the scenes and digital effects work for Wes Anderson.
